I'm a user of marijuana, not just smoker. And I can see where you cigarette analogy can be considered a choice, but next time try using the word "choice", like -" But you could like it so much, that you choose not to care, just like i do with cigarettes.

Don't implies a lack of, and a lack of caring is different from making a choice.

Smartpatrol, if I'm not mistaken you're still very young so you're looking for advice and experience, not just people telling you "i have smoked a lot" or "I have never smoked". Those who have never smoked are of course allowed to post but I don't think that they can offer you much valuable information here, pay most attention to what the ones who have done can tell you.

I was a huge consumer from around 15 to around 30 years old, I planted and harvested my own for years and smoked on nearly daily base with friends. We consumed also worse things for a long time but since I was 38 (8 years ago) I am clean except for cigarettes and alcohol.

The effects of any drugs are highly dependent on the personality and strenght of the consumer, some people manage to keep them within reasonable limits, others can fall prey and get caught in a spiral to the worst. Be very aware of what kind of person you are before letting them into your life.

I can not say I regret having done them, they can provide amazing experiences, and for one thing they can help experiencing prog music in a way which is unthinkable when being sober.

But they surely pose dangers. I never found weed particularly addictive, normal cigarettes or alcohol are much more physically addictive. What happens is that it becomes a lifestyle, when you and your friends consume drugs it becomes very difficult to stay away or control the magnitude, you are together so consuming becomes the norm, and one pushes the other and the magnitude or the kind of drug being consumed can easily get out of control. It's not the physical addiction but the "social" addiction which can become very dangerous.

I'm now 46 and I'm a "normal" person, with a good respectable job, I'm not a wreck. But I have some problems with memory, concentration, motivation, willpower etc. I will never be able to know how much these are related to my heavy consumtion of drugs in my younger years but they could definitely be related.

And I stopped with illegal drugs but I still smoke and drink. I can not say for sure but possibly once addicted to something you remain addicted to something even if it's not the same "something". You just need some addiction to carry on.

Bottom line: as an avid user having enjoyed it for many years and still healthy, leading a normal respectable life (and never been in jail ) I can not honestly ban it, it would be hypocrite from me, but I guess it's better to stay away from it, and if you ever think about trying think twice before starting and most of all think of how strong you think you are to keep it within reasonable limits and not falling too deep, and be careful with friends, consuming yourself is one thing, but getting into a lifestyle where the norm of everybody around you is consuming is dangerous.

have you ever considered that maybe it's the other drugs you did that affected you? just wondering, i've seen a lot of people post things similar to you and it always seems like they mention that they did other drugs besides cannabis but never seem to think that maybe that's what had impacted them negatively.

And I stopped with illegal drugs but I still smoke and drink. I can not say for sure but possibly once addicted to something you remain addicted to something even if it's not the same "something". You just need some addiction to carry on.

I'm glad you said that, because even though I successfully quit drinking a few years ago, I get the feeling that my body still craves something. In my case, I think it's sweets. Makes sense, since alcohol is chemically related to sugar (maybe a chemistry person can confirm or deny this, I'm no expert). Never had much of a taste for candy before, but now I get cravings for it, and my weight has increased as a result. Just another hang-up I have to get over, I guess.

My other avatar is a Porsche

It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased.

have you ever considered that maybe it's the other drugs you did that affected you? just wondering, i've seen a lot of people post things similar to you and it always seems like they mention that they did other drugs besides cannabis but never seem to think that maybe that's what had impacted them negatively.

I guess that they all contribute, but don't ask me why, I have the feeling that in terms of affecting long-term brain performance, cannabis (in both forms hash and weed) is the one which has had the most negative effects. Maybe only because it's the drug I consumed when youngest and therefore when the brain is still most vulnerable, other drugs I only tried when already an adult.

And in any case I can not be sure that my (relatively minor) problems are related to drug consumption at all, it's only a guess or a feeling.

Used to be avid many moons ago, until most of my group of 'friends' migrated to whacking up speed (and beyond) - sh*t went seriously pear-shaped after that..........weed doesn't cause problems on its own, nasty people who dick with the weed do..... lucky I've survived until now.......and clean (and a bit 'loopy' ). Prog is my preferred 'drug' of choice these days, with a bit of alcohol now and then, but I don't wanna fumble and damage an LP or something while pissed.........

Smartpatrol, if I'm not mistaken you're still very young so you're looking for advice and experience, not just people telling you "i have smoked a lot" or "I have never smoked". […] but getting into a lifestyle where the norm of everybody around you is consuming is dangerous.

Very good post! (I only quoted the beginning and the end; those interested can scroll up and read the whole post – it’s worth it.)

He say nothing is quite what it seems;
I say nothing is nothing
(Peter Hammill)

Last week, I had one of the most astounding experiences in my life: listening to my brother explaining why he considered weed as a "hard drug" (while I remember having seen him smoking some joints and I'm nearly sure he may have experimented with ecstasy a dozen years ago).

I ran into a friend of mine a few years ago that I had lost touch with a few years before that. I thought he'd be the last person to quit. He had quit drinking a few years before I had lost touch. He said the reason he quit smoking pot was because it was making him stupid. He was living in Florida where apparently you can easily get some really strong stuff. Still smokes cigarettes like a chimney.

Last week, I had one of the most astounding experiences in my life: listening to my brother explaining why he considered weed as a "hard drug" (while I remember having seen him smoking some joints and I'm nearly sure he may have experimented with ecstasy a dozen years ago).

He was rather convincing.

I really don't feel like there's any way to consider weed a hard drug. It's so much milder than anything else that one can think of as a 'hard drug'

Smartpatrol, if I'm not mistaken you're still very young so you're looking for advice and experience, not just people telling you "i have smoked a lot" or "I have never smoked". […] but getting into a lifestyle where the norm of everybody around you is consuming is dangerous.

Very good post! (I only quoted the beginning and the end; those interested can scroll up and read the whole post – it’s worth it.)

Also:

Gerinski wrote:

I never found weed particularly addictive, normal cigarettes or alcohol are much more physically addictive. What happens is that it becomes a lifestyle, when you and your friends consume drugs it becomes very difficult to stay away or control the magnitude, you are together so consuming becomes the norm, and one pushes the other and the magnitude or the kind of drug being consumed can easily get out of control. It's not the physical addiction but the "social" addiction which can become very dangerous

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot create polls in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum